The Collection | The Construction Site of Amsterdam

Richard Roland Holst was not just a painter. He was a sculptor, draftsman, etcher, woodcarver, glazier, and writer. An artist who believed in the unity of art and craft, in beauty as a moral duty. His work ranges from stained glass windows to monumental murals still visible in the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam and the Peace Palace in The Hague, embodying that conviction. Art should elevate, connect, and guide the community.

Not a Saint

That sounds quite idealistic, but it was never just roses and sunshine. Roland Holst was not a saint. His letters and essays reveal a man who could be both unifying and elitist. Seeing him only as an idealist does him a disservice or perhaps grants him too much grace. He was also a man of sharp words and outspoken opinions. His criticism of Jo van Gogh-Bonger, Vincent van Gogh’s sister-in-law who played an important role in recognizing Van Gogh’s work, was downright condescending. He found her bourgeois and her artistic insight limited.

Vanity

Snobbery was not foreign to him. He was in the midst of the socialist art movement but simultaneously looked down on what he considered mediocrity. He wanted art that belonged to everyone and often spoke about community, but often preferred to lead it himself. That tension between idealism and vanity, between labor and elevation, runs as a red thread through his work.

Complex Marriage

His wife was Henriette Roland Holst (née Van der Schalk), a well-known poet and socialist. They married in 1896, and their home became a meeting place for intellectuals, artists, and political thinkers. It was a complex marriage in which art, politics, and personal beliefs were constantly intertwined. Holst was known for his authoritarian traits and desire to lead, both in his art and personal circle. Henriette, known to many as Rode Jet or Tante Jet, had a strong personality herself. She was intellectually equal and did not shy away from confrontation.

Family Ties

Their relationship did not last, and from 1926 until his death, he had a relationship with Deborah Duyvis, whose father, coffee merchant Jacob Duyvis, was indeed a descendant of the Duyvis snack family. Speaking of family ties, ‘the prince of poets’ Adriaan Roland Holst was a nephew of Roland Holst. The name probably gave you a hint. At the National Monument on the Dam, you will find a poem by this Amsterdam poet: ‘Never, from ore to eagle, was any creature free under the sun, neither the sun itself, nor the stars. But spirit broke law and stood on the breached line the human. From that first one descended the countless.’

Construction Site in Amsterdam

In 1891, Roland Holst painted Construction Site in Amsterdam. Not a monumental scene, not an allegory, but a simple image of workers at a sand excavation, probably the filling of the Elandsgracht in the Jordaan. The canvas features various shades of yellow and brown, with touches of red and green here and there. A few workers stand in the sand, the sky heavy, the light muted, while life goes on in the background. No grand scenes, no romantic cityscape. Only labor. Quiet, purposeful, necessary. The men work, rest, watch.

Rhythm of Labor

The city transforms, and Holst captured that moment with the precision of someone who understands that change is always part of Amsterdam. Art is his means to show that. The painting is restrained but powerful. The sobriety of the work emphasizes the discipline and rhythm of labor.

Always in Motion

130 years later, the city seems hardly changed. Construction cranes, dug-up streets, traffic projects. Construction Site in Amsterdam is therefore timeless. It is not about painting, but about Amsterdam always being in motion, and Holst shows that this process is never finished. On the bridge of the Parnassusweg, you will find his likeness, alongside architect H.P. Berlage and sculptor Joseph Mendes da Costa.

Image: Rijksmuseum